A/N Hello, all, I am very sorry for the delays. Ordinarily I would have updated far more as it is the summer. Unfortunately I was doing an internship and was without both internet and computer access for most of the past two months. I am back now, however, and will be off school until early September, so I will try to get in some serious updating in the meantime.
This update is brought to you by Pottermore and the fact that I have successfully registered for an early account! Woot!
Thanks to all Reviewers!
To LilyandJames4ever: I am aware that the movie image depicts Marlene as blonde. However, I do not consider the movies to be canon, so, unless J.K. Rowling explicitly states that Marlene is blonde, I'm going to continue with the idea that she has orange hair.
To Marlicat: Whoops, thanks for catching that! Fianna is dead! I meant to say Keira who is Milo's wife and is in fact still alive.
Dedication: To do I need a pen name! I 3 you! Yay for being home for the summer! Woot!
Disclaimer: I only own Marlene's siblings together with do I need a pen name.
"Where is Marlene?" James asked cautiously upon finding Sirius alone in the kitchen at the Cassidy estate. James, Lily, and Harry were temporarily staying at the Cassidy estate in order to attend the wedding.
"I believe she's doing a final dress fitting with Lily, Dorcas, and Keira." Sirius answered looking up from the crossword puzzle had been working on at the kitchen table. "Why?"
"I need to talk to you alone," James said a serious expression settling over his face.
"Okay…"
"Muffliato." James whispered pulling out his wand.
"Now, I'm starting to get worried," Sirius said in a half-joking, half-anxious tone.
"Dumbledore thinks Lily and I need to go into hiding." James began.
"Aren't you already in hiding?" Sirius asked as he doodled idly on the corner of the newspaper.
"He thinks we need to take drastic measures-"
"Not the Fidelius Charm?" Sirius asked looking up and locking eyes with his best friend.
James nodded solemnly. "He thinks the Dark Lord Moldywart is about to move against us any day now, and with Harry, we can't take the chance." His attempt at humor fell flat and Sirius stared grimly back at him.
"Well, I'll be your secret keeper of course," Sirius replied in a matter of fact tone.
"No, you won't." James said in an equally resolved voice.
"What are you daft? Of course I will." The dog animagus shot back incredulously leaning back in his chair to glare at his friend better.
"You're about to get married, you have a baby on the way." James reminded the other marauder. "I can't let you put your life with Marlene and the baby at risk."
"What are you going to do then?" Sirius replied after a pause, although he did not look overly thrilled with the arrangements.
"Well, Dumbledore has volunteered." James said with a shrug.
"Let Peter do it." Sirius said suddenly.
"…what?" James asked after a pause.
"Old Moldy will never think that you would choose Peter, he'll come searching for me, and waste all of his time, because I'm completely untouchable as long as I'm here. It's the perfect plan. Devious. Underhanded. Unexpected. Marvelously-"
"Marauder-like." James concluded, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Let's do it." He agreed.
For some reason Sirius felt an odd feeling of unease tugging at him, just out of reach, but he shoved the doubt aside and returned James' smile.
-Story Break-
"My lord, I bring important news," The dark cloaked man stated bowing his head in submission to the other wizard who was seated at the other end of the long table.
"Indeed?" The man murmured. "By all means, approach then, Severus."
The first wizard-none other than Severus Snape-approached and knelt in front of the self-proclaimed Dark Lord Voldemort.
"Speak up!" He commanded lazily.
"Regulus Black is dead." Snape stated quietly. "Sirius killed him last night. Apparently, Regulus showed up at his brother's apartment for some reason, and Sirius attacked him shouting about how he was responsible for the deaths of the McKinnons,"
"Regulus had nothing to do with that." Voldemort mused.
"Matters such as culpability have never mattered to Black." Severus sneered as he considered his former schoolmate.
"It is a shame," Voldemort intoned. "Regulus was not so powerful as his cousin or his brother, but he certainly had his uses. Sirius Black is becoming quite the thorn in my side, unfortunately I do not have the time to kill him currently, and I do hold out hope that he will wise up and join the side of his forbearers. Perhaps after I have removed that pesky friend of his, he will realize which side is destined to reign victorious. I always have use for those so lacking in sentiment they would kill their own brother. And I recall that Sirius has always been exceptionally talented."
"And arrogant." Snape muttered.
"Nevertheless, I desire him to join us. Please let Bellatrix know that I desire her to pay her cousin a visit and express my wishes."
"Of course, my lord." Severus replied bowing his way out of the room.
-Story Break-
"How does it feel to be dead?" Sirius asked his brother conversationally later that afternoon over a cup of tea.
"I'm actually alive…" Regulus pointed out.
"Well, clearly, I mean I've been known to hallucinate every now and again, but I think even I'd notice if you were dead." Sirius replied. "Didn't you hear? Dumbledore had it put about that you were killed, by my talented self no less."
"That was fast," Regulus noted. "And, no I hadn't heard that yet."
"Well, you're dead." Sirius repeated. "How does it feel?"
"Pretty much the same as it felt when I was alive." Regulus answered.
"Well, obviously you need to get out more then." Sirius retorted.
"I'll keep that in mind." Regulus said dryly.
The front door opened and in burst Remus who had been temporarily allowed to leave by Marlene in order to do some work for Dumbledore, although the ginger-haired witch had informed him that "if he got himself killed, she would bring him back to life, and slowly torture him until he begged to be left alone with Voldemort rather than continue to have her torment him."
"I have news, and it's not good." Remus began grimly. "Where are the others?"
"In the living room I think." Sirius replied. "What's going on?"
"Hold on a minute, I don't want to say this more than once." Remus answered going out of the room to gather up the others.
Within a few minutes the kitchen was flooded with people.
"What's going on?" Marlene demanded anxiously, looking pale.
"Perhaps you should sit down, Marlene." Remus suggested carefully. The pregnant witch was liable to snap at anyone who tried to suggest that she was in anyway incapable.
Marlene looked positively stormy.
"Marly, sit down." Dorcas commanded sternly.
Marlene sulked but sunk into a chair.
"Benjy Fenwick is dead." Remus said solemnly.
"How? When?" James demanded.
Lily let a muffled sob escape, and Marlene shut her eyes tight against the tears that threatened to escape.
"I'd rather not discuss the details, it was pretty gruesome." Remus answered levelly. "The death eaters got him. He fought bravely."
"Is Caradoc alright?" Marlene broke in.
Caradoc had been best friends since first year, the pair of them had been nearly as inseparable as Sirius and James.
"I doubt it." Remus replied. "Dumbledore said Caradoc ran off as soon as he heard, that was several hours ago."
"Is anyone looking for him?" Lily demanded.
"Dumbledore said we should give him space, let him grieve." Remus answered.
"Caradoc is liable to do something stupid." Dorcas spoke up.
"Caradoc is one of our most prudent members, he won't do anything really dumb," Remus said in what was supposed to be a confident tone but really sounded more than a little doubtful.
Regulus had a low opinion of how prudent anyone in the Order could really be, but Caradoc was at least a Ravenclaw rather than one of those bull-headed Gryffindors that seemed to be a dime a dozen on the Light side.
"We can only hope." Lily said grimly.
An air of solemnity settled over the room after that, each of its occupants lost in equally grim thoughts.
A/N Review, my darlings, I shall try to update ASAP.